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The New Kids on the Block
Not all drivers care about the same things when shopping for a new car, but few people have the time to thoroughly test out a bunch of vehicles before buying one — that’s why expert guides can be so helpful. Auto research company Kelley Blue Book is one of many groups that put new cars to the test to determine the best ones available, and it just announced its finalists for the 2016 class of vehicles.
Kelley Blue Book will name the winners of its Best Buy Awards in mid-November, but right now, its experts are testing the 49 award nominees. The experts will review the vehicles in a variety of categories, like pricing data (including depreciation, insurance, maintenance, financing and fuel costs), consumer reviews, expert driving evaluations, safety, design and more.
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Are You Really Ready to Buy?
If you’re in the market for a new car (or soon will be), it’s smart to look at the newest models out there, but it’s crucial to understand what you can reasonably afford. Do your own research to determine which vehicle will make most sense for you, and if you need to finance this big purchase, be sure to check your credit score before car shopping. A good credit score can help you get a lower interest rate on an auto loan, as can a higher down payment, and that can make your monthly payments more affordable. If you don’t have great credit, there are auto loans for people with bad credit, so you’re not necessarily out of luck if you need to buy a new vehicle and don’t have a fantastic credit score. (You can check your credit scores for free on Credit.com.)
Remember that it’s not all about the monthly payment, either — you can lower your monthly payment by extending the term of the loan, but that may end up costing you more in the long run, the loan may outlast the car, or it won’t be worth much by the time you’re done paying it off.
Kelley Blue Book will name Best Buy Award winners in 12 vehicle categories. Here are the 2016 finalists.
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Hyundai Motor America
Small Car
Honda Civic
Hyundai Elantra (pictured)
Scion iM
Subaru Impreza
Toyota Corolla
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Mazda North American Operations
Midsize Car
Chevrolet Malibu
Honda Accord
Hyundai Sonata
Kia Optima
Mazda MAZDA6 (pictured)
Toyota Camry
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General Motors
Full-Size Car
Chevrolet Impala (pictured)
Chrysler 300
Hyundai Genesis
Nissan Maxima
Toyota Avalon
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Hyundai Motor America
Small SUV
Honda CR-V
Honda HR-V
Hyundai Tucson (pictured)
Mazda CX-3
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Mitsubishi Motors
Midsize SUV
Ford Explorer
Honda Pilot
Mitsubishi Outlander (pictured)
Toyota Highlander
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General Motors
Full-Size SUV
Chevrolet Tahoe (pictured)
Ford Expedition
Toyota Sequoia
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Kia Motors America
Minivan
Honda Odyssey
Kia Sedona (pictured)
Toyota Sienna
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Nissan
Pickup Truck
Chevrolet Colorado
Ford F-150
Nissan Titan (pictured)
Toyota Tacoma
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Toyota Motor Sales
Performance Car
Chevrolet Camaro
Chevrolet Corvette
Ford GT350
Mazda MX-5 Miata
Scion FR-S (pictured)
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Volkswagen of America
Electric/Hybrid Car
Chevrolet Volt
Toyota Mirai
Volkswagen e-Golf (pictured)
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Toyota Motor Sales
Luxury Car
Acura ILX
Lexus GS (pictured)
Mercedes-Benz C-Class
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Volvo Cars of North America
Luxury SUV
Acura MDX
Lexus RX
Lincoln MKX
Volvo XC90 (pictured)
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Image: Hyundai Motor America
The post Want a 2016 Car? Here Are Your Best Bets appeared first on Credit.com.